Hydraulic air-compressor



(No Model.)

J. B. ERWIN.

HYDRAULIC AIR COMPRESSOR.

No. 340.496. Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

I: Vania Umrnn STATES PATENT Grinch,

JAMES BVERWIN', OF MILWAUKEE, \VISCONSIN.

HYDRAULIC AlR-COMPRESSO R.

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,496, dated April20, 1886.

Application filed December 8, 1885. Serial No. 185,050. (No model.)

To all whom; it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES B. ERWIN, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Hydraulic Air-Oompressors; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements'in hydraulic air-compressors, andthe same is explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a vertical section thereof. Fig. 2 representsa top view of the valvechamber detached from the receiver. Fig. 3represents a vertical section of the inlet airvalve and the upper end ofthe inlet air-tubeclosed and the inlet-valve is opened, and thus removedfrom the receiver.

Like. parts are represented by the same reference-letters throughout theseveral views.

A is the receiver, which, as the machine operates, is alternately filledwith air and'water, and as it is thus filled it oscillates upon thepivoted support B. Attached to said receiver, upon the opposite side ofsaid pivoted support, is a lever, O, and counterpoise D, the gravity ofwhich counterpoise is such as to cause receiver to ascend when emptiedof water, while said receiver and its contents when nearly or quite fullof water will counterbalance said counterpoise D and descend, causingsaid oounterpoise D to ascend. The receiver Ais mounted upon saidpivoted support below it and counterbalanced by a weight insubstantially the samemanner as that shown in my previous patent,No.329,377, dated October 27, 1885, and the oscillating movement of thereceiver and counterpoise as the receiver is filled and emptied is thesame as that produced by the device shown in said patent.

By my present improvements the number of parts is greatly reduced, andthose used are simple in their construction and durable, and not liableto get out of order or to be ob- To the bottom of the receiver A. isattached a valve-chamber, E, through which the water enters and escapesfrom the receiver A. Water enters the chamber E through thehose-connection F, passing through the ducts a and port c. The ducta isclosed by the valve b. Water escapes from the receiver A through thevalve-seat G. The valve-seat G is closed by the valve H. The valves 12and H- and valve-stem I are preferably cast in a single piece.

Both water-valves b and H reciprocate freely and without contact withtheir inclosure between the inlet and outlet water ports or'passages asthe receiver oscillates, the outletvalve being raised from its seat andopened and the inlet-valve closed by contact of the stem I with a stop,J, or with the bottom of the tank E as the receiver descends, and as thereceiver ascends said valves drop of their own gravity, whereby theoutlet-valve is the admission and escape of water to and from thereceiver is perfectly controlled by the valves without pistons orstuffing-nuts, and the valves and stem are free to move back and forthbetween the two valve-seats without contact with the inclosure.

For convenience in construction, the valveseat G is made separable fromthe valvechamber E, and is inserted in the valve-chamber E beneath thewater-valves after said valves are inserted.

The lower end of the valve-seat G is provided with adownwardly-projecting guidebracket, K, preferably cast in one piecetherewith, through which the lower end of the valve-stem I moves, and bywhich the valves.

are both held in place and both guided to their respective seats.

The downward movement of the receiver is stopped by contact of the lowerend of the valve-stem I with a stop at the bottom of the tank. A blockis preferably cast with the tank, forming a stop, J, above the bottom ofthe tank; but such block may be dispensed with, when the bottom of thetank will serve as a stop.

The upward movement of the receiver is limited and controlled by contactof the lever O with the stop L. The stop L may be made stationary but,for convenience in producing raised slightly from its seat.

a nice adjustment of the receiver so as to tip with the desired quantityof water, said stop is preferably made adjustable, as shown. The upperend of the stop consists of a screw, which is seated in a screw-threadedstationary block, M, in which it may, by turning, be adjusted higher orlower, as desired. The weight D is adjustable upon the lever O.

In setting up the compressor the weight D is so adjusted as to quicklyraisethe receiver when empty, and preferably before quite all of thewater has escaped. The receiver being up and in the act of receiving thewater, the stop L is raised to such a height that the receiver willoscillate in the other direction and descend when nearly or quite full.Thus it is obvious that by the adjustment of the counterpoise D and stopL the receiver may be nicely adjusted so as to oscillate when filled.

or emptied to any desired point. In the compressor shown in my saidprevious patent the inlet air valve is raised by the influx of air asthe water escapes. It becomes necessary, however, for a free and rapiddischarge of the water to raise the air-valve. This is accomplished byextending the valve-rod N down through the bottom of the receiver, asshown, so that as the receiver descends said rod will by contact withthe bottom of the tank or other stop cause the inlet air-valve O to beThe length of the stem N is such as to cause said air-valve O to beraised slightly in advance of the watervalve H, whereby the small amountof compressed air remaining above the water at the top of the receiver,when the same descends, will be permitted to escape, thus relieving thereceiver of the great pressure of the compressed air before saidwater-valve is raised.

The stem N and the air-valve O are preferably made separate from eachother, so that any inclination of said valve-stem will not prevent thevalve from seating properly on the top of the air-tube P. The valve 0 isheld in place and guided by outside bearings, R, which operate againstthe periphery of the tube P.

The lower surface of the valve 0 is provid ed with a rubber or otherelastic bearingsurface, S, which is held in close contact therewith bythe guide-bearings R, which bearings are provided with a shoulder, d,which extends inwardly beneath said elastic bearing, and an internalscrew, j, which engages upon the external thread, 9, of the valve or nut0. Thus, as the valve or nut O and the bearing R are screwed together,the elastic bearing is securely held in place.

A is the outlet air-tube, through which the compressed air is conductedfrom the top of the receiver A down to and out through the air-duct B,from whence it is conducted by a flexible hose to an air-receiver.

By the arrangement sh own, both inlet waterhose and outlet air-hose arelocated in close proximity to the pivotal support of the reto the 'endoflthe duct B, and prevents the return of the compressed air to receiveras water escapes.

D is a thimble, which is screwed upon the periphery of the duct B,outside of the check valve 0, and serves as a place of attachment of therubber hose which conducts the air to the air-receiver.

To prevent the possibility of an overflow of water into the outletair-tube, said tube is provided with an enlarged downward-opening mouth,F, beneath which a float, G, is supported by a bracket, H, in such amanner that as the water reaches the float it is raised and closes saidmouth, and prevents the escape of water through the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an oscillating hydraulicair compressor, the combination andarrangement of the inlet and outlet water-ports, with the inlet andoutlet water-valves and valve-stem, both of said valves being connectedtogether and located between the seats of said inlet and outletwater-ports, and adapted to be moved in one direction by their gravityand waterpressure and in the other direction by contact of said stemwith a stop, as said receiver with its counterpoise oscillates upon itspivotal support, substantially as set forth.

2. In an air-compressor, the combination, with its receiver mounted uponapivotal support and counterpoised by a weight, of a valve-chamberprovided with both an inlet and outlet water-passage through which waterenters and escapes from said receiver, inlet water-controlling valve b,and outlet water-controlling valve H, the said valves connected andmoving together, valve-stem I, valve-seat G, and supporting-tank E, saidinlet-valve being adapted to be closed and said outletvalve to be openedby contact of said valvestem with a stop at the bottom of said tank, andreversed in their movement by their gravity and water-pressure,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, with the valve-chamber E, provided withhose-connection F, and having a downwardly-opening inlet waterport ofthe opposing valve-seat or outlet water-port G, provided with aguide-bracket, K, valve-stem I, operating in said guide-bracket, andvalves b and H, adapted to vibrate between said valve portaud seat,withsaid valvestem, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the inlet air-tube P, valve or screw-threaded nut,O, elastic hearing S, guide-walls R, fitted to the periphery of saidtube and serving to guide and retain as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In an air-compressor having an oscillating receiver mounted upon apivotal support and counterbalanced by a weight abovea tank, 15thecombinatiou of the weight-supporting 1ever 0, adjustable screw orstop L, standard M, and tank E, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein 2o presence of twowitnesses.

JAMEs- B. ERWIN.

Vtitn esses:

O. T. BENEDICT, E. RAY INMAN.

